Lucy Liew exhibition at Soula Power Yoga March 2010

Floral Fantasy paintings exhibit by Lucy Liew at Soula Power Yoga

Floral Fantasy: a series of floral images inspired by everyday magic.
Painting for me is a visual diary that celebrates the everyday wonders of life. The mood of the composition may be introverted and reflective…or extroverted and celebratory, depending on how it is interpreted by my physical, mental and spiritual “lens”. It is an ongoing challenge to create a piece of art that elicits hope and inspiration in the midst of life’s challenges. I challenge the viewer to look more closely at the beauty of our natural world and draw parallels with the beauty of life. In this series of paintings, you are invited into a lush garden of floral fantasies that are a fusion of the real and the fantastic. The flowers, foliage and insects are rendered using fine illustrative details to suggest reality while the rich colors, rendered in multiple layers, and the playful juxtaposition of organic curvilinear elements and representational images invoke a magical dreamlike realm.

The beautifully decorated Chinese vases collected by my mother were the inspiration for one series in Floral Fantasy which use floral motifs as representational images of family “trees”. Each of the flowers used in these compositions have special significance in Chinese tradition: the tree peony symbolizes honor, love and affection, while the magnolia bloom exemplifies nobility, dignity and perseverance.

The lotus blossom is the central theme of another series in Floral Fantasy. This flower is widely regarded as a symbol of purity and perfection, often in conjunction with a spiritual awakening or rebirth. This collection also features butterflies and dragonflies to reinforce the themes of joy, transformation and new life.

Floral Fantasy is a visual celebration of life and the human experience. It is through the visual media of painting and drawing that I am able to transcend the barrier of language to share my thoughts and inspirations with viewers around the world. While I often draw inspiration from my own cultural heritage, I believe that the underlying oneness in all cultures, East or West, allows these stories to connect universally with viewers through the shared experience of life.

Meet Lucy at the artist's reception on March 5th, 7pm- 9pm

Born in Malaysia, of Chinese-Melanau descent, Liew is a graduate of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore and a Commonwealth Foundation Fellowship winner from England. Liew has been active in the S. F. Bay Area since 1997 and was awarded a San Jose City Branch Library Project in 2004. Her work has been featured internationally in numerous solo and group exhibitions, as well as in various private and corporate collections around the world. Liew’s work is also in the permanent collection of the National Art Gallery in Malaysia. Liew currently resides and works in San Jose, California.